2006 was a revolutionary year for James Bond since Daniel Craig took on the role of the 007 Agent while Sean Connery departed from the spy franchise. With Casino Royale on the verge of release, this James Bond film broke a record that had never been done in the history of the Bond franchise.
With Daniel Craig brandishing a brand new form of Bond, it was necessary that the new Bond be very different from his predecessors. Depicting an intense 6-minute chase scene through a construction site in Madagascar, the world was ready for a “slightly crazy…incredibly brave” James Bond.
The New James Bond Was Crazy And Raw
Before 2006, there had never been a chase scene in the history of the James Bond franchise. Either skiing down the Alps or following the bad guy in his car, James Bond had never run on-foot to catch the antagonists but Daniel Craig did.
Depicting a 6-minute chase scene through a construction site in Madagascar, screenwriter Neal Purvis wanted to prove something to the world. Redefining the 007 Agent, Purvis revealed to 007 why he chose to have the chase scene in the movie.
“We wanted to establish the new Bond is gadget free, raw, slightly crazy, very physical and incredibly brave. We were also aware there had never been a foot chase in a Bond movie before.”
To perfect the parkour scenes, the 2006 film hired free runner Sébastien Foucan who portrayed the role of Mollaka in the film. Being one of the early developers of parkour, Neal Purvis was impressed by watching Fouccan in the 2003 documentary Jump London and hence, hired him for the role.
Daniel Craig Went Through Hell For James Bond
With Casino Royale having stunt and action scenes and Neal Purvis wanting a raw James Bond, Daniel Craig knew from day one that he would go through a lot of pain for his role. Talking to Empire, Daniel Craig revealed that he knew he had to suck it up.
“I learned from day one that it was gonna hurt and the whole film really did hurt.” He said, “Just pain. But if I was hurting, the stunt guys were hurting ten times more than I was. I just had to suck it up and get on with it.”
From 2006, Daniel Craig portrayed the role of Bond in a variety of films and announced his departure from the franchise in No Time to Die in 2021. With high ratings and Daniel Craig’s farewell to the Bond franchise, No Time to Die is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
